Legends of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio
by Photographs by Ed Wargin
Published by Ann Arbor Media Group
Click on book
cover to order
at Amazon.com
Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
Aficionados of lighthouses take note! Ed Wargin has photographed the lighthouses of Michigan and his work is impressive. His talent is evident as he is able to breathe life into his subject matter.
Legends of Light contains lighthouses photographed from the inside and outside and various prospective of the surrounding area, including the environment. Wargin gives us a bonus because he lists all of the Michigan lighthouses and provides a map of their location in the back of the book. That added immensely to my enjoyment.
Gull Rock on Lake Superior was established in 1867. The view from above of the lighthouse perched on its own tiny island is dramatic. You're alternately drawn to its beauty and repelled by the confinement.
The internal photograph of Lake Michigan's St. Helena Island lighthouse is warm, cozy and ever so inviting. I wanted to snuggle up with a book by the stove and read while drinking a cup of hot tea.
The stark reality of winter in a northland lighthouse is evident in Wargin's photograph of Cheboygan Crib Light on Lake Huron. As I gazed on the winter white, I found myself becoming chilled. It is extraordinary for a photographer to ellicit such strong feelings and emotions from a viewer.
The interior of Whitefish Point on Lake Superior is a room that could be found in any home, yet it is in a lighthouse.
The burial site near Rock Harbor is fascinating and evokes all sorts of questions like who, when, how?
South Manitou Island lighthouse on Lake Michigan has my heart. Actually, I found myself studying the picture and returning to it repeatedly. I'd love to live there.
Wargin has captured the flavor and the majesty of lighthouses with his wonderful images. My heart now belongs to the lighthouses and the Great Lakes region. I want to visit so many of them it looks like a road trip is in our future.
Armchair Interviews says: Legends of Light is a book to savor and to live in the dream of the beauty of our northern Great Lakes Region. This is a wonderful gift book for someone who loves lighthouses. And maybe that's you.